Sign assembly for motor vehicles



y 1970 w.- J. LOWMASTER 3,510,975

SIGN ASSEMBLY FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed June 16, 1967 INVENTOR.

4/54? IAaw/fimair United States Patent O 3,510,975 SIGN ASSEMBLY FORMOTOR VEHICLES William J. Lowrnaster, Royal Oak, Mich., assignor to TheMathews Company, a corporation of Michigan Filed June 16, 1967, Ser. No.646,538 Int. Cl. G091? 7/100 U.S. Cl. 40129 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A motor vehicle embodying a sign assembly carried on oppositesides, front and rear of the vehicle for indicating the class of goodscarried by the vehicle. Each sign assembly is comprised of a mountingportion in which a plurality of stacked cards bearing dilferent legendsare supported. A restraining means holds the cards within the stack andpermits selective repositioning of the cards for changing the exposedlegend.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a sign assemblyfor motor vehicles or the like and more particularly to a sign assemblythat facilitates rapid interchange of the indicating material of thesign assembly.

Motor vehicles such as highway trucks normally carry a wide variety ofclasses of cargo. Certain safety benefits may inure from the provisionof readily visible indicators on the exterior of the vehicle forindicating the class of goods carried by it. The variety of differentgoods carried by such vehicles, however, makes it necessary that theindicating legend on such signs may be readily changed. In addition tootfering convenient interchange, such sign assemblies preferably shouldinclude provision for permitting interchange of the legend withoutresorting to an extraneous source. That is, all of the necessary legendshould form a part of the sign assembly and be carried directly by thevehicle.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide animproved sign assembly for a motor vehicle.

It is another object of this invention to provide a motor vehicle signassembly that facilitates changing of the indicating legend of the signassembly.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a self containedsign assembly adapted to provide a number of different types ofindications.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A sign assembly embodying this invention isparticularly adapted for use with motor vehicles for indicating theclass of goods carried by the vehicle. The sign assembly comprises amounting portion that is adapted to be afllxed to the exterior of themotor vehicle. Flange means extend outwardly from at least two oppositesides of the mounting portion for supporting engaging opposite sides ofa plurality of stacked cards bearing indicating legend on at least oneface of each of the cards. Tab means extend from the flange means towardeach other and are adapted to overlie the outermost card in the stackfor retaining the stack of cards relative to the mounting portion. Thetab means terminate short of the legend on the outermost card forfacilitating the reading of the legend thereupon. At least one side ofthe mounting portion is free of flanges for facilitating sliding of thecards from beneath the tab means for permitting interchange of theoutermost card of the stack. Releasable restraining means are carried bythe one side of the mounting portion for engaging the stack of cards andfor coacting with the flange means and the tab means to restrain thestack of cards relative to the mounting portion.

3,510,975- Patented May 12, 1970 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.1 is a perspective view of the motor vehicle embodying this invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of one of the indicating sign assembliescarried by the vehicle shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the encircled area in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 44 ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 55 ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 6-6 ofFIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A motor vehicleembodying this invention is identified generally by the referencenumeral 11 in FIG. 1. The motor vehicle may be of any of the knownfreight transporting types and is depicted as a tractor-trailercombination consisting of a tractor 12 and trailer 13. Indicating signassemblies embodying this invention are identified generally by thereference numeral 14. As will become more apparent as this descriptionproceeds, indicating sign assemblies 14 preferably are mounted onopposite sides, front and rear of the trailer 13. mounting portion,indicated generally by the reference Each of the sign assemblies 14 iscomprised of a numeral 15, which may be formed from sheet metal or anyother similar material which may be plated, coated, painted or otherwiseprotected from corrosion. The mounting portion 15 consists of agenerally rectangular rear face 16 in which countersunk openings 17 areformed to pass flat headed bolts or screws for facilitating attachmentof the sign assembly 14 to the associated vehicle. Outwardly extendingflanges 18 and 19 are formed integrally with the top and bottom edges ofthe rear face 16. The flanges 18 and 19 extend substantially the fulllength of the rear face 16. The outer extremity of the flanges 18 and 19are integrally connected to inwardly extending tabs 21 and 22,respectively. At one side the tabs 21 and 22 are cut off at an angle, asat 23 and 24, and the opposite ends of the tabs 21 and 22 are rounded,as at 25 and 26. An outwardly extending flange 27 is formed integrallywith one end of the rear face 16, the end adjacent the cut off portions23 and 24 of the tabs 21 and 22. The flange 27 is substantiallycoextensive with the height of the face 16 and terminates at its outerend in an inwardly extending tab 28. The tab 28 is cut off, as at 29 and31.

It should be readily apparent that the mounting portion 14 may beconveniently formed with the flanges 18, 19 and 27 extendingperpendicular to the face 16 and the tabs 21, 22 and 28 extendingparallel to the face 16. The cut olf edges 23, 24 and 29, 31 of the tabs21, 22 and 28, respectively, permits folding without interference at theadjacent edges.

A plurality of generally rectangular cards, indicated by the referencenumerals 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38, are adapted to be supportedwithin the mounting portion 15. Each of the cards 32 through 38 may beformed with a different legend on at least one of its faces, and thenumber of such cards necessary may be reduced by forming legend on bothfaces of the cards. The cards may be formed from sheet metal,composition boar-d, plastic or the like so as to be weather resistant.The legend on each face of each card represents a different class ofgoods which may be carried within the vehicle 11.

The distance between the flanges 18 and 19 is preferably about equal tothe height of the cards 32 through 38 so as to snugly engage the stackof cards within the mounting portion 15. in a like manner, the flange 27will engage one edge of the cards 32 through 38 so that the cards 32through 38 are supportingly engaged along three of their sides by therespective flanges 18, 19 and 27. The tabs 21, 22 and 28 overlie theuppermost card 38 of the stack and assist in preventing the cards fromfalling outwardly from within the mounting portion 15. The tabs 21, 22and 28, however, terminate short of the legend on the cards so that themounting portion 15 presents a substantially open outer face throughwhich the legend may be viewed.

The mounting portion face 16 is somewhat longer than the length of thecards 32 through 38 and the edge pposite to the flange 27 and tab 28 isgenerally open to facilitate sliding of the respective cards from withinthe mounting portion '15 to permit changing of the indicia presented bythe outermost card on the stack. A releasable retainer, indicatedgenerally by the reference numeral 39, is provided to engage the cards32 through 38 at this end of the mounting portion to prevent accidentaldisplacement of the cards 32 through 38. The retainer 39 is mounted inan inwardly recessed portion 41 of the rear face 16 of the mountingportion 15. The retainer 39 comprises a base portion 42 having abifurcated end 43 that defines spaced arcuate portions 44. A flange 45of a retaining member 46 extends through and is journaled within thearcuate portions 45. The retaining member 46 is generally of a Z-shapeand is adapted to engage the cards in the position shown in thedrawings. The member 46 may be rotated, however, through 180 throughyielding of the bifurcated arm 43 to release the cards 32 through 38 forchanging of the outermost card.

It should be readily apparent that a relatively simple sign assembly hasbeen provided that permits rapid interchange of the legend and which issubstantially self-contained. If additional information is to beindicated, cards may be added since the flanges 18, 19 and 27 aresomewhat longer than the height of the stack of cards initiallyemployed. In addition, the outermost card on the stack protects theremaining cards from dirt and other foreign matter and may beconveniently washed along the remainder of the vehicle.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment of the inventiondisclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, itwill be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification,variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fairmeaning of the subjoined claim.

What is claimed is:

1. A sign assembly for a motor vehicle or the like, said sign assemblycomprising a mounting portion, said mounting portion providing meansadapted to be affixed to the exterior of the associated vehicle, firstand second flange means extending outwardly from at least tworespective, opposite, outer peripheral sides of said mounting portion,

first and second tab means extending from said first and second flangemeans respectively toward each other and overlying at least in part saidmounting portion contiguous to said outer peripheral sides, third flangemeans extending outwardly from the third outer peripheral side of saidmounting portion, third tab means extending from said third flange meansand overlying at least in part said mounting portion contiguous to saidthird outer peripheral side, a stack of cards, each card of said stackbearing a different legend on each of its faces and a different legendthan that carried by the other of said cards, said stack of cards beingreceived within said mounting portion and supportingly engaged at edgesthereof by said flange means, said tab means being adapted to overliethe outermost card in said stack for retaining said stack of cardsrelative to said mounting portion, said tab means terminating short ofthe legend on the outermost card for facilitating reading of the legendon the outermost card, the side of said mounting portion opposite saidthird out-er peripheral side being free of-flange means for facilitatingsliding of the cards from beneath said tab means for permittinginterchange of the outermost card of said stack, and releasablerestraining means carried by the last mentioned side of said mountingportion for engaging said stack of cards and for coacting with saidflange means .and said tab means to restrain said stack of cardsrelative to the mounting portion, said releasable restraining meanscomprising retaining member having a first leg adapted to overlie theoutermost card in the stack when the retaining member is in itsretaining position, a second leg angularly related to said first leg andextending adjacent the edges of the cards of said stack when in itsretaining position, and a third leg formed at the end of said second legand extending in a direction substantially parallel to said mountingportion and a base member having a pair of spaced legs, said base memberbeing affixed to said mounting portion, said spaced legs of said basemember engaging said retaining member for pivotally supporting saidretaining member for movement from its retaining position to a releasedposition wherein cards may be slid from within said mounting portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,068,621 7/1913 Abraham 641,599,167 9/1926 Doucet 4016 1,749,943 3/1930 Joiner 4064 X 1,929,90810/1933 Weber 4017 2,575,913 11/1951 Eastman 40-l7 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO,Primary Examiner W. J. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 4017Patent No. 3,510,975 Dated y 1 1970 I WILLIAM J, LOWMASTER I It iscertified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 28, delete mounting portion, indicated generally by thereference" Column 2, line 30, insert before "numeral", --mountingportion, indicated generally by the reference- Column 3, line 42,(Application page 6, line 15), after "along" insert --withsmnzn AND smsnAllezsm- (SEAL) Attest:

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